Support for milking machines



1933- H. B. BABSON ET-AL. I I ,1 2

SUPPORT FOR MILKING MACHINES Filed 0on8, 1934 2 Shets-Sheet 1 MM/aes I Nov. 8, 1938 H. B. BABSON ET AL SUPPORT FOR MILKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 8, 1938 sorroa'r roa MILKING vnmcnnms Prion" Henry B. Babson and Jacob J. Stampen, Chicago,

Ill., assignors to Babaon BM, Chicago, llL,-a

corporation of Illinois Application October a, 1934, Seriai No. 741,321

'1 Claims. (Cl.3158) Our invention relates in general to the milking of cows in sanitary fashion and has more particular reference to a support for milking apparatus.

An important-object is to provide a milking cage having improved means for supporting a mechanical milking apparatus in adjusted position with respect to an animal in the cage; a further object is to form the cage to facilitate I adjustment of the milking apparatus on an animal therein.

Another important object. is to provide milking stalls having an adjustable supportv comprising a support mounted on a side of the stall in posilli tion to swing beneath an animal in the cage,

adjustable longitudinally of the stall, and adapted to support milking apparatus-in adjusted-position with respect to an animal in the stall, said support; being adapted to swing the milking ap-' paratus out of. the stall, after the milking operation is completed, to permit unobstructed exit of the animal from the cage; a further object being to yieldingly bias the support to normally urge the same away from milking position, including 5 means to adjust the force of such'bias.

Another object is to provide an adjustable support for milking apparatus, which support is adjustable horizontally and vertically with respect to an animal to be milked; and a further object is to afford a resilient and yielding support for milking apparatus beneath an animal being milked. v

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will; be apparent from the following descriptiomwhich, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a milking cage provided with a support embodying our present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view and Figure 3 a front view of adjustable support means for milking apparatus which may be used in conjunction with our improved milking cage shown in Figure l; and f Figures 4 and 5 respectively are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 4-4 in Figure 2 and 5--5-in Figure 4.

To illustrate our invention we have shown on the drawings a milking cage or stall 33 of preferably rectangular arrangement. The stall may be formed of any suitable material and in any desired fashion. However, we prefer to construct to the same of metal pipes. To this-end, the stall and ii.

33 may comprise four corner uprights 35, ll, 89 Y The stall preferably comprises spaced apart side walls between which an animal to be milked may be trapped. Torthis end the stall has an entrance opening preferably arranged at one 5 end of the stall as between the uprights 35 and ll, an entrance gate 49 being provided at said entrance opening. The gate 49 may comprise a pipe bent to provide parallel arms, the ends of which, as shown inthe illustrated embodiment. may be hinged to the upright ,vertical rods Hi0 being arranged between and connected to the arms of said pipe. The end of the stall opposite the entrance opening is preferably closed by a wall formed in the illustrated embodiment by the horizontal rails 5i and 53 between theuprights 31. and, vertical rods I09 being'arranged between the rails SI and 53.

stanchion means may also be provided in the stall adjacent the end thereof opposite from the entrance opening; In the illustrated embodiment the stanchion comprises a vertical, fixed post Hl supported'by connecting pipes H! from an upright II forming a part of the side wall between the uprights 35 and 38. The stanchion also comprises a movable post H3 which is supported by means of the pipes ill on a shiftable frame 63,'which' frame preferably comprises a bent pipe forming spaced arms, the ends of which are connected on an upright 59 forming a part ofthe side wall of the stall between the uprights 31 and ti. Vertical rods Hi9 may be arranged between the spaced arms of the frame 63. The frame 63 is preferably arranged to swing about the axis of the upright 58 and extends between said upright and the corner post 31, thereby forming a gate normally closing the space between the uprights i l and I9, which-opening affords an outlet through which an animal may exit from the stall. ,In addition to forming an exit gate, the frame 83 also supports the mova- 'ble stanchion element ill so that when closed the neck of an animal in the stall may be received and trapped between the stationary and movable stanchion elements ill and Ill. Rails II and 13 are arranged between the uprights ll and 59 to close the space therebetween and, if desired, vertical rods I09 may be arranged between the rails. Suitable means is preferably provided for holding the gates 49 and BI in closed postion when an animal is in .the stall.

The tops of the posts 35, 39 and TI are interconnected by a rail ll, while the tops of the posts 31, ll 'andSQ'likewise are interconnected by between the uprights 258 and Ti to close the intenvening space, rods I09 being arranged between said rails, and the space between uprights 35 and I1 is closed by members I and IIII which are connected each at one end upon the rail 41' substantially midway between the uprights 35' and TI, the other ends of the members 9| and II" being connected, respectively, to the uprights 35 and TI. Rails 91 and I! extend, respectively, between the central portions or the members 9! and II" and the uprights I1 and 35. Beds Hi8 may be mounted between-the rails 51 and III! and the lower portions. of the members SI and IlII to close the intervening spaces. The upper ends of the posts 31 and 33 also are connected by the rail 45, while the posts 35 and H are likewise interconnected and braced by the rail 46. The post 11 in like fashion is interconnected and braced upon the rail 43 by the cross bar 85.

The milking cage 33 is adapted to permit an animal enclosed in the cage to be milked by any accomplished by mechanical means. The hori zontal portions of the members SI and it! are deformed at I59 to provide a space or opening substantially opposite the udder oi the animal in the cage so that milking may, if desired, be accomplished by hand. The cage, however, is well adapted to facilitate the use of mechanical milking apparatus, which may be supported from the cage itself. To this end, we provide an adjustable mechanism for carrying the milking apparatus and have shown a preferred form oi the adjustable support mechanism, in mounted position, in Figure 1 and, in detail, in Figures 2 through 5.

The support mechanism is carried on a pref erably stationary mounting at the milking station, and, as shown in the drawings, the animal stanchioning means or cage 33 may serve as the stationary mounting for the support mechanism.

The support mechanism afl'ords means tor adjusting the position of the milking apparatus, carried thereby, with respect to the caged animal being milked so that the apparatus may be positioned to accommodate the physical characteristics of each animal as it enters the cage to be milked. Among cows, comprising a held there is considerable individual .variation in the distance from shoulder to udder and in the elevation of. the udder above the floor level. The support device of our present invention permits the mechanism to be quickly and easily adjusted longitudinally of the animal to a position opposite the udder and also permits the rapid adjustment of the apparatus vertically to the correct milking position under the udder. The support further permits yielding movement of the supported apparatus sufllciently to permit the same to follow the limited movement of the animal permitted within the cage. The support further suspends the milking apparatusresiliently under the udder oi the animal.

The support mechanism comprises a frame I GI which is mounted at its upper and lower ends for sliding movementon guide rails ltd and tilt, which, in turn, are supported on the cage, the upper rail I63 being attached at its opposite ends to the members 91 and HIT-and the lower rail I65 being connected at its opposite ends with the members SI and MI. The frame ifii may thus be adjusted longitudinally of the cage. The

frame I6I provides a guide channel for a rack bar I67 movable in the frame in a vertical direction.

The frame also provides a journal having a shaft i59 carrying a pinion ill in position to drlvlngly engage the rack bar. The shaft IE9 is provided with a crank H3 having a handle I15 by which the same may be rotated by an attendant stationed on the floor 23 in order to turn the shaft and pinion ll i and hence raise or lower the rack bar in the frame. The handle I15 is arranged to control a spring pressed detent ill normally carried in position to engage stops I19, arranged circularrg on a dial plate IBi carried on the frame ifii, to provide for locking the rack bar at a desired elevation in the frame. When retracted, by means of the handle i it, the detent I II will clear the stops i I9, thus permitting the crank I13 to be turned to adjust the elevation-oi the rack bar. The lower end of the rack bar is formed as a spindle I82 carrying an arm I84 in position to swing within the cage in position to support a mechanical milker in milking position beneath an animal entrapped in the cage. The arm I84 is preferably of resilient construction comprising, in the illustrated embodiment, a relatively flexible member mounted at one end in a sleeve its journalled on the spindle at the lower end of the rack bar I67. The other end of the flexible support member is formed with a hook M5, on which the milking apparatus may readily be suspended. The flexible support member I84 may be braced by an arm I86 which is fastened at one end on the sleeve I83, the other end of said bracing arm I86 underlying the member I84 at a point spaced from the anchored end thereof. Spring means I 8'! is also preferably provided to yieidingly hold the support means in a desired angular position with respect to the spindle, the angular position being determined by a collar its, which may be secured in a desired adjusted position by means of the thumb nut IQI.

It will be apparent that the hooked end of the flexible milking machine support I84 may be positioned at a desired elevation by adjusting the rack bar I8? by means oi the crank I73 and also may be adjusted longitudinally of the cage, to accommodate the size and shape of the animal to be milked, merely by sliding the frame lti on the rods Hit and I65.

It is thoughtthat the invention and numerous 01' its attendant advantages and inherent functions will be understood from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of our invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat'- ent is as follows:

1. Adjustable support means for milking apparatus comprising, a support element, resilient suspension means mounted to pivot on the support element about a substantially vertical axis, said suspension means having a portion extending outwardly from the support element and formed to receive carry the milking apparatus, and yielding means on said Support element and operati' 'eiy associated with said suspension means to urge the same normally in one direction on its pivot whereby to yieldingly bias the suspension member away from milking position.

2. Adjustable support means for milking apparatus comprising, a support element, resilient suspension means mounted to pivot on the support element about a substantially vertical axis. said suspension means having a portion extending outwardly from the support element and formed to receive and carry the milking appa ratus, and yielding means on said support'element and operatively associated with said suspension means to urge th same normally in one direction on its pivot whereby to yieldingly bias the suspension member away from milking position, and means to regulate the turning urge ap plied by said yielding means on said suspension means.

3. Adjustable support means for milking apparatus comprising, a support element, resilient suspension means mounted to pivot on the support element about a substantially vertical axis,

said suspension means comprising a resilient rod pivotally mounted, at one end, on and extending, at the other end, outwardly of said support element, said rod forming a hook to receive and carry the milking apparatus, and yielding means on said support element and operatively associated with said suspension means to urge the same normally in one direction on its pivot whereby to .yieldingly bias thesuspension member away from milking position.

4. Adjustable support means for milking apparatus comprising, a support element, means to mount the support element for vertical adjustment at a milking station, resilient suspension means mounted to pivot on the support element about a substantially vertical axis, said suspension means having a portion extending outwardly from the support element and formed to receive and carry the milking apparatus, and yielding means on said support element and operatively associated with said suspension means tourge the same normally in one direction on its pivot whereby to yieldingly bias the suspension member away from milking position.

5. Adjustable support means for milking apparatus comprising, a support element, means to mount the support element for horizbntal move- 6. Adjustable support means for milking apparatus comprising, a support element, means to mount the support element ,for horizontal movement and also for vertical adjustment at a milking station, resilient suspension means mounted to pivot on the support element about a substantially vertical axis, said suspension means having a portion extending outwardly from the support element and formed to receive and carry the milking apparatus, and yielding means on said support element and operatively associated with said suspension means to urge the same normally in one direction on its pivot whereby to yieldingly bias the suspension member away frommilking position.

7. Adjustable support means for milking ap paratus comprising, a support element, horizontally movable mounting means for carrying the support element at a milking station, means to vertically adjust the support element on the mounting means, resilient suspension means mounted to pivot on the support element about a substantially vertical axis, said suspension means having a portion extending outwardly from the support element and formed to receive and carry the milking apparatus, and yielding means on said support element and operatlvely associated with said suspension means to urge the same normally in one direction on its pivot whereby to yieldingly bias the suspension mem ber away from milking position.

HENRY B. BABSON. JACOB J. STAMPEN. 

